Data storage cartridges provide means for storing large quantities of data, are not permanently mounted on data storage drives, and are stored in a readily available form in storage slots, for example, in automated data storage libraries. In an automated data storage library, one or more robot accessors insert and withdraw the data storage cartridges from the storage slots and transport them to and from data storage drives.
A data storage library typically comprises data storage drives adapted to operate only one type of data storage cartridge, and has storage slots sized to store that type of data storage cartridge. Further, data storage cartridges, although employing the same type of data storage media, for example, half inch magnetic tape, may be sized differently. In one example, the IBM® 3592 Jx-type tape cartridge is slightly larger than an IBM® LTO tape cartridge. The differences in size together with mechanical differences differentiates the two cartridges and prevents the IBM® 3592 Jx-type tape cartridge from being loaded into an IBM® LTO tape drive.